Pure Magic [Editing]

The Reaper

Chapter 24

The Reaper

The wind whipped my messy hair all over my face as I used my shadow tracking. I finally understood how it worked now. It wasn't shadow tracking, more like darkness tracking. everyone has a dark side, no matter how evil. The dark side has the same body shape as it's owner and I can find the whereabouts of that.

Cynthia, Alex and I had devised a plan. Our first goal was to find the map and Scarlett and Lila. Mostly Scarlett though because Cynthia showed me the true extent of a goddess's power. It was beautiful and extremely powerful.

I finally found Scarlett and grabbed Alex and Cynthia's hands, teleporting to Scarlett's shadow. As soon as we arrived, Alex wrenched himself away from my grip, "Don't do that to me!"

"Sorry!" I smiled, sheepishly as someone hugged me hard.

"Are you okay?" Lila asked, pulling away.

"Yeah," I bit my lip, "Sorry about before. We need your help. Please?"

"Sure!" Scarlett grinned, shaking my hand, "What first?"

"We need to find a map in the tower of...." I drifted off, my eye wandering away.

"The tower of the reaper," Cynthia finished off for me.

I flashed her a grateful smile and Scarlett grinned.

"So shall we go or what?" Alex asked, breaking the silence.

"Sure," I answered, my voice small.

Cynthia took my hand and smiled encouragingly. I gathered up all my strength and regained my usual self in no time.

"We're gonna have to teleport because we have no time to lose," I commanded, "Scarlett, I know what you can do, take Lila. Cynthia'll take Alex and me. Alright?"

The others nodded and Scarlett took Lila's arm and vanished. I held Alex's hand loosely and Cynthia took mine. I used my power, plus Cynthia helped me a bit since I was still scared, and we were transported to the tower.

Everyone knew where it was. Everyone knew it's exact location. Everyone knew never to go there.

It was the tower of the reaper. The reaper, the worst being on the Earth, the being who stroke fear in peoples hearts. The reaper took my aunt, and killed her right in front of my eyes. He just struck her in the heart and she dissolved. She died.

My legs buckled as the tower stood before me. The air tasted evil. I can't describe it, but it just tasted so evil.

The tower was made of hundreds of darkened floors. It reached high up into the sky, no one who ever reached the top has came back to tell the tale. My aunt never tried to get to the top. We were lost and outside lived many atrocious beasts. We had no where else to go...

"Fi?" Cynthia asked, "It's alright. We're here."

"Yeah, we're here," Alex echoed, even though I could hear the fear in him.

Cynthia helped me up and we spotted the faint figures of Scarlett and Lila at the towers entrance. Leaning on Cynthia for support, I managed to stumble over to them.

The tower seemed even scarier than it had second before. The foul air filled my nose, giving me a slightly sickening feeling. The dark clouds hiding the top of it seemed to be even darker then the colour black itself.

"How are we gonna search the whole tower?" whimpered Lila, clutching Scarlett's arm and hiding behind her.

I felt like doing the exact thing...

Suddenly, I felt a rush of darkness wash over me. The tower was radiating darkness. If we wern't careful, then that dark magical energy could turn anyone, magic or not, onto the path of evil.

"Careful," I warned, " If we go in there we could turn to the bad side. Stay on your guard. To be honest, I don't know exactly where it is. Let me think."

The others nodded. Each having a different reaction to my warning. Lila and Alex looked scared out of their lives but Alex was, by far, scared the most. Scarlett was just standing there observing the tower and Cynthia shivered slightly.

OK, well how am I gonna do this? Maybe I could think like Dad again. It unsettled me, but it was our best bet. I closed my eyes and my Dad's cold voice filled my mind.

'I'd obviously put it in the worst and hardest to reach place of course,' he snarled, 'A place hidden in the place where it hurts the most. But then that would only be the decoy. I would set traps and things in the place that hurts her most and put it in an obvious place yet keep it in a hidden storage place.'

I forced my eyes open and bit my lip. It was like he was actually standing there. Speaking his thoughts. It was scary. I hated him but I knew he wasn't always like this. Still, it was quite unbelievable to me that he was nice once.

The place that hurts me most. I know. I can remember it, clear as day. The seventh floor, second door from the staircase. But it wasn't the place that hurt most. It was the place that was obvious.

Obvious. Obvious. What was obvious? If I hadn't thought about where it hurt. I would search where first. The top. Yeah, the top.

"Ok, we're heading to the top of the tower," I announced, the air seeming even thicker then ever.

Not looking back at the others, I strode through the open archway and straight to the staircase. I think it was better if I teleported. I turned back to check if the others were following. No one.

I walked back out to the front of the tower. No one there either. Where were they?

"Guys?" I called out, "This isn't funny!"

I headed back indoors and felt something brush by me. Turning around instantly, I shivered and a tear rolled down my cheek. Who was it? Where was everyone?

"Who are you?" I demanded.

"Never heard of me?" a taunting voice laughed.

There was a flash and a full body, faceless mannequin appeared. It was darker now. The mannequin looked set to kill me. I'd always been scared of them. Another flash and it came closer. I couldn't move. Another flash and it came closer yet, mustache sprouting.

Go ahead and laugh. I'm scared of mustaches, so what? Another flash, noticeably larger than before. The mannequin now held my wrist. It's head was so closed to mine, if it was alive, I would've smelled it's breath.

Then it just vanished.

"Who are you?" I repeated, shakily.

A young boy of sixteen years or so stood from the ceiling. He held a scythe by the pole and the blade curving behind him. His white hair hung down as did his hood. His black eyes stared into mine and his clothes hung tightly to him.

"I'm Jack," he smiled, "Jack The Ripper, Jack the Reaper, Jack Frost? Imagine them rolled all up into one, minus the frost of course. We have no room for good."

I trembled, every part of my body shook out if fear. He was the one. He did it.

"You killed her," I whispered, fists clenched.

"What was that?" he taunted.

"You killed her!" I shouted, tears dripping onto the floor.

My fists shook with hatred as Jack casually floated from the ceiling and landed on the floor.

"Killed who? I've killed a lot of people. In fact I have five new victims. Three pretty girls and a boy your age," he smiled, hair flopping over his eyes.

"Let them go," I commanded, my voice cold and hard, "Or feel my wrath!"

I stuck my right arm straight out in front of me and pushed my palm forward, a dark, crackling ball at Jack. He dodged easily and my head tilted to look at the floor. My smile spread wide across my face. The ball followed Jack until it hit him, he lay sprawled across the floor.

I fell on the floor too. It seemed that new power I discovered took too much of my power. Maybe I should handle myself more careful. Well he deserved it...